Lid clamp for cases



June 17, 1941. R F, PLOEGER AL 2,246,455

LID CLAMP FOR CASES Filed April 10, 1940 5, FIG. 1. ig"

INVENTORS. RUB F. F'LQEQEP Alfr E d. E. .lYI-L'L'L E1" ATTORN EYS.

Patented June 17, 1941 LID CLAMP FOR CASES Roy F. Ploeger and Alfred E. Miller, Rhineland, Mo.

Application April 10, 1940, Serial No. 328,968

Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in lids and lid clamps for egg cases and the like.

The conventional type of egg case is battened at the exterior sides of its end panels with wood cleats or slats affixe-d to the upper marginal edges thereof. The case is ordinarily provided with a relatively thin lid, of plywood or the like, which tends to crack or split, upon nailing. We are aware that clamps have been devised for releasably securing the lid ends to the case thru engagement with the under sides of the case end cleats or slats. Such a clamp is shown in the U. S. Reissue Patent #18,407 to Swanson. This type of clamp is pivotally mounted intramarginally of the lid and includes end portions which are bent to extend during use of the clamp, over the lid end, downwardly across the slat at the end of the case, inwardly beneath the slat and upwardly into engagement with the under side thereof. Because this type of clamp occupies space in a plurality of planes, the lids do not stack properly upon removal from the cases, the clamps are liable to become bent out of shape and the prongs are exposed in a manner tending to cause injury to handlers.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a generally improved clamp for egg case lids and which clamp lies in a single plane so as to not interfere with stacking of the lids, and swingable to an outof-the-way position atop the lid so as to reduce any tendency of the clamps to become bent out of shape or to injure workmen during handling.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of an egg case lid clam-p including means reinforcing the marginal edge of the lid.

A further object of the invention is to provide an egg case lid clamp including means preventin play between the lid and case.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing Figure 1 is a fragmentary end elevaticnal view of an egg case equipped with our improved lid clamp.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of one end of the egg case and showing one end of the lid in dissociated relation thereto.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View showing a modified form of the invention.

In the drawing, which shows preferred and modified forms of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters denote corresponding parts thruout the several views, the letter A designates an egg case, B a preferred lip clamp therefor, and C a modified form of lid clamp.

In the example shown, the egg case A is of conventional construction, including an end panel l5, relatively thin side panels l6 secured to opposite edges of the end panel, a cleat or slat l'l secured to the outside of the end panel along its upper margin, and a relatively thin lid iii, of plywood or the like.

The clamp B includes a sheet metal binding strip 25 of a length substantially equal to the distance between the side panels I6. This binding strip 25 is of pleated formation, including an upper section 26 covering the upper marginal end edge of the lid, a lower section 21 meeting the upper section along a fold 28 adjacent the lid, and disposed subjacent the inside marginal end edge of the lid, and a flange 29 depending from the inner edge of the lower section 21. In the example shown, the flange 29 comprises a downturned section til and an upturned section 3| forming a fold 32. If desired, the upper section 26 of the binding strip may include a marginal portion 33 which is turned thereunder along a fold it. It will be noted that, upon securing the binding strip to the lid end as by rivets 35, the lid end will be reinforced thruout substantially its entire width, and the depending flange 28 will prevent end and side play of the lid relative to the case, thru engagement with the inside of the case. It will also be noted that the folds 2t, 32 and 34, conceal any sharp edges liable to injure handlers of the lid or case.

Pivotally supported by the binding strip 25 within the fold 28 is the intermediate section 39 of a clamping wire All, bent to provide similar hook-like end sections 4!, all the sections being disposed in substantially coplanar relation. Each hook-like end section 4| comprises a shank portion 42 including an inward offset 43 and a resilient curvilinear offset 44, and a prong portion 25 flattened at its end to provide a gripping edge With the clamping Wire All supported in a substantially flat position on the lid end, as shown in Figure 2, the lid may be lowered onto the case and the flange 29 will serve to properly position the same thereon. In swinging the hook-like end sections 4| of the clamping wire downwardly and inwardly to dispose the prong portions 45 in engagement with the under side of the slat I1, the shank portions 42 will move past the ends of the slat IT to the position shown in Figure 1. The clamping wire is sufficiently resilient to permit flexing the hook-like end sections in order to dispose the gripping edge 46 of the prong portion 45 in the corner between the end 'panel I5 and the slat H, as shown in Figure 3. In releasing the clamp B, the shank portions 42 at opposite ends of the slat I I may be grasped.

The clamp C shown in Figure 4 is like the clamp B except that instead of having the curvilinear offsets 44, each hook-like end portion of the clamp C is provided with a U-shaped loop 44a, forming a finger or thumb piece which is used to engage or release the clamp from the case.

Various changes may be made in the forms of invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

l. A clamp for the lid of a case having a slat along an end thereof, said clamp comprising a wire including an intermediate section of a length greater than the length of the slat, and hook-like end sections, all the sections of said wire being normally disposed in coplanar relation so as to lie substantially flat on the lid, and means pivotally securing the intermediate section of the wire to the lid so that, upon disposition of the lid on the case, the hook-like end sections are swingable past the ends of the slat, said wire being sufiiciently resilient to permit flexing the hook-like end sections into and out of engaging relation to the under side of the slat.

2. A clamp for the lid of a case having a slat along an end thereof, said clamp comprising a wire including an intermediate section of a length greater than the length of the slat, and hooklike end sections each having a shank portion and an inwardly offset prong portion, all the sections of said wire being normally disposed in coplanar relation so as to lie substantially fiat on the lid, and means pivotally securing the intermediate section of the Wire to the lid so that, upon disposition of the lid on the case, the shank portions of said hook-like end sections are Swingable past the ends of the slat, said wire being sufficiently resilient to permit flexing the hooklike end sections to bring said prong portions into and out of engaging relation to the under side of the slat.

iii

3. A clamp for the lid of a case having a slat along an end thereof, said clamp comprising a binding strip reinforcing an end of the lid and including sections covering the upper and lower marginal edges of the lid substantially thruout its width, and a fold joining the sections adjacent said end of the lid; and a wire including an intermediate section of a length greater than the length of the slat, and hook-like end sections, said intermediate section being pivotally supported within said fold so that, upon disposition of the lid on the case, the hook-like end sections are swingable past the ends of the slat into and out of engaging relation to the under side of the slat.

4. A clamp for the lid of a case having a slat along an end thereof, said clamp comprising a binding strip reinforcing an end of the lid and provided with a fold extending substantially thruout the width of the lid adjacent said end; and a Wire including an intermediate section of a length greater than the length of the slat, and hook-like end sections, all the sections of said wire being normally disposed in coplanar relation so as to lie substantially flat on the lid, said intermediate section being pivotally supported within said fold so that, upon disposition of the lid on the case, the hook-like end sections are swingable past the ends of the slat, said wire being sufliciently resilient to permit flexing the hook-like end sections into and out of engaging relation to the under side of the slat.

5. A clamp for the lid of a case having a slat along an end thereof, said clamp comprising a binding strip reinforcing an end of the lid and extending substantially thruout its width at said end of the lid, said binding strip provided along its outside edge with a fold adjacent said lid and along its inside edge with a flange for engagement with thev inside of the case to prevent play between the lid and the case, and a wire including an intermediate section of a length greater than the length of the slat, and hook-like end sections, said intermediate section being pivotally supported within said fold so that, upon disposition of the lid on the case, the hook-like end sections are swingable past the ends of the slat into and out of engaging relation to the under side of the slat.

ROY F. PLOEGER. ALFRED E. MILLER. 

